Functional safety represents a clear differentiator for current and future products in automotive industries. To achieve corresponding targets in terms of automotive safety integrity level (ASIL) new and enhanced concepts have to be established. To achieve a dedicated ASIL level different target parameters as failures in time (FIT) rate, diagnostic coverage, SPFM, LPFM, etc., have to achieve a dedicated value.
For sensors, a typical safety goal is it to ensure dedicated signal accuracy in a predefined time (e.g., 5° deviation of the true angle value has to be detected in 5 ms at an angle sensor). The problem to be overcome in that context is simply how to prove a dedicated diagnostic coverage by specific safety mechanisms. The choice of safety mechanisms represents an important element and the more a dedicated mechanism is able to cover, the better.
An important element represents the interface between sensor and ECU, as this can only be covered partly by internal checks as well as partly by external checks. Therefore innovative concepts for the interface are needed, which cover the link between sensor and ECU in an optimal form.